Combined abdomen-supporting means and garter belt



Dec. 2, 1958 P. BLATT 2,862,500

COMBINED ABDOMEN-SUPPORTING MEANS AND GARTER BELT Filed Oct. 24, 1955 INVENTOR. 5 .4 PAULA BL/17'7" ATTORNEYS stage of pregnancy.

United States Patent COMBINED ABDOMEN-SUPPORTING MEANS AND GARTER BELT Paula Blatt, Cleveland, Ohio Application October 24, 1955, Serial No. 542,418 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-535) do not feel the need of any abdomen-supporting means during'the early stage of pregnancy, there are others who do either require or prefer an abdomen-supporting means during the early stage. Therefore, instead -of providing separate garments for the early and later stages of pregnancy in such instances, as heretofore, it is the object of my present invention to devise asingle garment that may be worn in one position upon the body during the early stage of pregnancy and in another position during the later stage, with comparatively less and greater supporting effect for the abdomen during these two periods, respectively.

Another object is to devise such a garment that is provided also with means for removably attaching the garters thereto during either the early or later stage of pregnancy and with the same convenience at both times.

Another object is to devise a single garment that is adapted to be worn in two different positions during the early and later periods of pregnancy, respectively, and which will conform itself to the regionsof the abdomen and sacroiliac joint, respectively, in a most efficient manner when worn in either position, without any danger of riding or creeping upwardly even when garters and stockings are not worn.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together withthe accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation illustrating the manner in which the present garment may be worn during the later stage of pregnancy;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear view illustrating the manner of wearing this garment as illustrated also in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation illustrating the manner in which this same garment may be worn during the early It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the sake of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

Since the later stage of pregnancy extends over a longer period of time and is, of course, more critical, reference will be had first to the position of the present garment when worn during the later or more highly developed stage of pregnancy as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing. Then reference will be had to the position of this same garment as it may be worn during the earlier or less critical period of pregnancy, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Phtented Dec. 2, 1958 Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a longitudinally elastic band 1 of five inches width, for instance, has its two ends folded inwardly upon itself in triangular form and sewed to itself, as indicated by reference numerals 1a and 1b; and an auxiliary strip of the same material 2 may have its two ends folded inwardly upon itself and sewed to itself, as at 2a and 2b. The folded edges of the bands 1 and 2 are sewed together in butt joints and the end portions of these members 1 and 2 are folded in such manner that the butt joints between the same will diverge upwardly and outwardly when the garment is worn in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and} of the accompanying drawing. That is, the part 2 may be recognized as being of inverted trapezoidal form in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3; and, as a result, the upper corners of these butt joints between these members 1 and 2 project upwardly while the upper edge of the .member 2 extends in a horizontal manner. Thus the bandl is adapted to extend rearwardlyan'd upwardly about the body of the wearer well up into the sacroiliac region of her body, and the band 2 is adapted for full engagement with the sacroiliac region of the wearers body in a most effective manner.

Still referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the present drawing, the band 1 is adapted to extend beneath the abdomen of thewearer so as to have uplifting engagement therewith; and, in order to enhance this. capability, I have provided a satin or other soft material withlongitudinal stretch as an outer lamination 3 for the front part of the band when the garment is worn in this position.

The layer 3 is of substantially the same width as the band 1 to which-the layer 3 is sewed at.its two ends. Along the upper and lower edges of the layer 3 and the band 1, I have sewed the longitudinally elastic strips 4 and 5 which are secured throughout the most of their length along their edges so as to project above and below the edgesof'the two laminations l and 3, while their end portions are extended downwardly and up-' wardly, respectively, so as to fully overlap the layers 1 and 3 to which these end portions are sewed. In this way, there is obtained a somewhat upwardly and downwardly curved form for the edges of the strips 4 and 5 so as to provide an elliptical-like form for the front part of the garment, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the present drawing. That is, this front part is of greater width than the band 1 and its upper and lower curved edges are graduated into the more narrow width of the band 1 at the ends of the satin layer 3. Also,

- there may be provided a hidden fullness along the upper and lower edges of.the satin layer where it joins the elastic strips 4 and 5 for a purpose to .be later explained.

Approximately midway along the band 1 and at opposite sides of the garment there are the sgips 6 and 7 which are stitched thereto at their ends and at suitable points therealong so as to provide loops 6a and 7a to receive the conventional hooks 8 and 9 which are attached to the upper ends of the garters G and G. These loops may be provided at any points along the strips 6 and 7 according to the desired positions of the garters. These loops are open at their tops an'd bottoms so as 'to be adapted for use when the garment occupies the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 or in the inverted position indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. It is possible, of course, that this garment may be worn without the garters, if so desired, as they are readily attachable and removable according to whether stockings are to be worn at any given time.

Now is will be explained that during the early stage of pregnancy this same garment may be worn with the comparatively narrow part 2 beneath the abdomen, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the present drawing; in which case the wider part 1-3 will have snug form-fitting engagemeat with the sacroiliac region of the wearers body. As will be observed, the garment in Fig. 4 is reversed and inverted from the position indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

that is, it turned upside down and around through 180 degrees. Then, by virtue of the inversion of the auxiliary strip 2 it will occupy'p'osition at themost effective level beneath the abdominal region and to extend laterally beneath the same in effective uplifting engagement therewith. Experience has shown that such comparatively light means of supporting engagement is suflicient for comfort and a sensation of security during the early stage of pregnancy. Then, during the later stage there may be obtained a continued sensation of comfort and security by reversing and inverting the position of this same garment so as to assume the position indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing. In this position the auxiliary band 2 will, because of its form and manner of insertion, reach wellup into the region of the sacroiliac joint of the wearers body and will afford substantial and effective supporting engagement therewith; while the wider laminated part of the garment will then engage beneath the enlarged abdomen of the wearer and will serve in a most effective and dependable manner throughout the remaining part of the period of pregnancy.

When worn in either of its two positions, as above described, there is afforded ample firmness for uplifting engagement beneath the abdominal region of the body of the wearer by virtue of the laminated form of the garment at both the front and rear parts thereof; and likewise such laminations serve also as a means of firm and effective supporting engagement with the sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer.

, Also, when worn in either of the two positions, as above described, the garters may be attached in a readily removable manner by means of the loops which are open therethrough in a vertical direction so as to receive the hooks when the belt is worn in either position. With this arrangement the garters may be worn in such manner as to extend in a practically vertical direction and parallel to each other and will, as a result, be free of any twisting or tearing of the stockings.

Whether this garment be worn in one position or the other, as above described, the wider laminated part will be adapted to assume snug and smooth form-fitting engagement with either the abdomen, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or with the sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer, as in Fig. 4 of the drawing. That is to sa the application of longitudinal tension to the two ends of the wider part of the belt will cause this ellipticallike part to assume a convexed form either inwardly or outwardly according to whether it be applied to the protruding abdominal region or to the receding sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer. Thus in either case there will be ensured a snug and effective engagement throughout,

with the accompanying combined sensation of security r and comfort throughout all stages of pregnancy.

Another advantage of this garment resides in the fact that it will not ride'or creep upwardly upon the body of the wearer even when worn without garters and stockings as this garment is so formed as to have firm, formfi-tting engagement beneath the abdomen of the wearer and also snug, form-fitting engagement with the sacroiliac region of her body when worn in its two positions.

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Also, by virtue of the peaked form at the joints between the overlapping end portions of the bands 1 and 2, the upper circumference of this garment is larger than its lower circumference when worn in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the present drawing; so that when this garment isworn in the position corresponding to the early stage of pregnancy (Fig. 4), the larger circumference at the bottom permits a lower positioning of the garment beneath the abdomen and fitting about the corresponding hip region of the wearer in accordance with the usual wish or need of the. wearer during the early stage of pregnancy. Then, in the later stage of pregnancy, the larger circumference of this garment will be located at the top edge thereof (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), so as to accommodate the natural enlargement in the upper part of the Wearers abdomen during such period.

Thus at all times this garment will be able to afford a sensation of security and comfort because of its particular adaptation to the changing contour of the abdominal region during the early and later stages of pregnancy and also its firm, form-fitting engagement with the sacroiliac.

region of the body of the What I claim is:

1. A maternity garment comprising a closed band of longitudinally elastic material adapted to be inverted and reversed in its position upon the body of the wearer and having opposite portions adapted for engagement with either the abdominal region or the sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer and having side portions between said opposite portions, invertibly operative garter-attaching means provided upon said side portions of said band substantially midway of the height thereof so as to assume substantially the same position in either upright or inverted position of said band upon the wearers body, and garters with readily attachable and detachable means of engagement with said invertible garter-attaching means.

2. A maternity garment comprising an invertible closed band of longitudinally elastic material, said band having an abdomen-supporting portion at the front thereof, a rear portion adapted for engagement with the sacroiliac region of the wearers body, and side portions between said front and rear portions, said side portions having laterally extending, strap means susbtantially midway of the height of said band and providing loops that are open vertically therethrough for attachment of garters and garters with readily attachable and detachable means of engagement with said loops, whereby the position of the band may be inverted upon the body of the wearer and garters may be attached thereto in either position of the band.

wearer at all times.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. 28, 

